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Jul. 3, 2023

How to treat a dog bite

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Traveling with medications, the stress-free way

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Recipe: Summer main dish salad

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Farmers market gazpacho

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Get virtual urgent care anywhere.

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Diet & Weight Loss – Harvard Health

What’s the best diet for weight loss?

It’s a question on the minds of most people once they’ve decided they need to shed some pounds—what is the best diet for weight loss? While that’s not an unreasonable question, it often implies an approach that is less than optimal, which is to plan on adopting a radically restrictive mode of eating for a while, until the weight is lost, and then going back to eating as normal. Instead of embracing “fad diets,” people who have lost weight—and kept it off—usually have made a permanent shift toward healthier eating habits. Simply replacing unhealthy foods with healthy ones—not for a few weeks, but forever—will help you achieve weight loss while also offering numerous other benefits. So a better set of questions might be, “What is a healthy diet? What does a healthy diet look like?”

A healthy diet favors natural, unprocessed foods over pre-packaged meals and snacks. It is balanced, meaning that it provides your body with all the nutrients and minerals it needs to function best. It emphasizes plant-based foods—especially fruits and vegetables—over animal foods. It contains plenty of protein. It is low in sugar and salt. It incorporates “healthy fats” including fish, olive oil and other plant-derived oils.

Here a few examples of healthy meals for weight loss. For breakfast, a bowl of bran flakes with sliced strawberries and walnuts with nonfat milk. For lunch, a turkey sandwich on wheat with vegetables and an olive oil and vinegar dressing. For dinner, a salmon steak on a bed of spinach.

You don’t have to cut out snacks in order to eat a healthy diet, either. Healthy snacks for weight loss include almonds or pistachios, string cheese with an apple, Greek yogurt or a banana with peanut butter.

Before you begin your weight-loss journey, do some brainstorming about the kinds of healthy foods you enjoy so that you can have lots of choices as you plan your meals and snacks. Remember that the best diet is the one you’ll stick to, so don’t rush out and buy a bunch of “health foods” that you know you’ll never eat.

What’s the healthiest diet?

There is no single diet that nutritionists have deemed “the healthiest.” However, there are several styles of eating that experts either have designed for optimal health or have observed to be healthy when consumed traditionally by different people around the world. Such styles of eating tend to have a few things in common—they tend to be plant-based diets, they emphasize healthy fats, no simple sugars and low sodium, and they favor natural foods over the highly processed fare typical of much of the Western diet.

For example, the Mediterranean style diet gets its name from the foods available to various cultures located around the Mediterranean Sea. It heavily emphasizes minimally processed fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and whole grains. It contains moderate amounts of yogurt, cheese, poultry and fish. Olive oil is its primary cooking fat. Red meat and foods with added sugars are only eaten sparingly. Besides being an effective weight loss method, eating a Mediterranean style diet is linked to a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, depression and some forms of cancer.

Experts developed the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) specifically as a heart-healthy regimen. The combination of food types contained in the diet seem to work together especially effectively to lower blood pressure and decrease risk of heart failure. The key features of DASH are low cholesterol and saturated fats, lots of magnesium, calcium, fiber and potassium, and little to no red meat and sugar. Unsurprisingly, that equates to a list of foods similar to those of the Mediterranean diet—whole grains, vegetables, fruits, fish, poultry, nuts and olive oil.

As its name implies, the MIND diet (Mediterranean-DASH diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) was designed by doctors to take elements from the Mediterranean and DASH diets that seemed to provide benefits to brain health and stave off dementia and cognitive decline. In practice, it is very similar to both the Mediterranean and DASH diets, but it puts stronger emphasis on leafy green vegetables and berries, and less emphasis on fruit and dairy.

In recent years, the Nordic diet has emerged as both a weight-loss and health-maintenance diet. Based on Scandinavian eating patterns, the Nordic diet is heavy on fish, apples, pears, whole grains such as rye and oats, and cold-climate vegetables including cabbage, carrots and cauliflower. Studies have supported its use both in preventing stroke and in weight loss.

What do all of these diets have in common? They’re all good for your heart, they all consist of natural unprocessed foods and they all contain plenty of plant-based dishes. Eating for your health—especially your heart health—by adopting elements from these diets is a smart way to lose weight.

What is intermittent fasting?

You’ve probably heard some inspiring success stories about intermittent fasting. But is fasting healthy, and does intermittent fasting work?

Fasting—abstaining from eating for some period of time—is an ancient practice that is safe when not taken to extremes. Traditionally, the benefits of fasting have been both spiritual and physical. People who fast for religious reasons often report a stronger focus on spiritual matters during the fast. Physically, a simple fast lowers blood sugar, reduces inflammation, improves metabolism, clears out toxins from damaged cells and has been linked to lower risk of cancer, reduced pain from arthritis and enhanced brain function.

Intermittent fasting means dividing one’s time between “eating windows” and periods of abstention on a regular basis. A common intermittent fasting schedule might restrict eating to the hours of 7:00 a. m. to 3:00 p.m., with the remaining 16 hours of the day spent fasting. But there is no specific, prescribed schedule. Some people have more or less generous eating windows, setting the rule that they will not eat after, say, 8:00 p.m.—or, on the considerably less generous side, only allowing themselves to eat every other day.

The science behind intermittent fasting is based on altering the body’s metabolism. During a period without eating, insulin levels drop to the point that the body begins burning fat for fuel. Additionally, the thinking goes, by slowing the body’s metabolism, you cause your appetite to drop off and thus will consume fewer calories when you resume eating.

Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of intermittent fasting for weight loss. However, it’s not clear that it is any more effective than simply restricting calories and following a normal eating schedule. One possible reason for the success of intermittent fasting is that most practitioners have quit the habit of eating during the late evening and night hours. Restricting eating to earlier in the day aligns better with our bodies’ circadian rhythms and is less likely to cause us to store our food in fat cells. Since intermittent fasting is difficult for many people to adhere to, a wise alternative might be to consume a low-calorie Mediterranean diet and to stop the day’s eating in late afternoon.

There are certain people who should not try intermittent fasting without first checking with their doctor, such those with diabetes or heart disease.

Intermittent fasting is a very “lifestyle-intensive” dietary pattern, meaning that it is challenging to maintain in the face of normal social relationships. If the rest of your family is eating while you’re fasting, you might be tempted to indulge or to surrender the family-meal ritual. If your job requires you to dine with clients or colleagues, you’ll find an intermittent fasting schedule difficult to maintain. Remember that the best healthy eating plan is the one you’ll stick to.

What’s a high-fat weight loss diet?

It sounds counterintuitive, but many people find success losing weight—especially initially—by eating more fat, not less. Called a ketogenic or Keto diet, this method requires shifting the main source of calories over to fatty foods—between 75% and 90% of what you eat, with only 10-20% of your calories coming from protein and a mere 5% from carbohydrates. The theory is that by eating so many healthy fats and restricting carbohydrates, you enter an altered metabolic state in which you force your body to begin relying on fat for energy, burning away your fat stores instead of sugar for fuel.

Research does show that keto is an effective way to jump-start weight loss and improve blood-sugar levels. However, it is hard to maintain, and to date we are lacking long-term studies that show it to be a sustainable eating pattern for keeping weight off.

What does a Healthy Eating Plate look like?

Because both weight loss and overall health are tied to some basic eating patterns, we have developed the Harvard Healthy Eating Plate as a model for meal planning and for your overall balanced diet. Imagine a round dinner plate with a line running vertically down its center dividing it evenly in two. One half of the plate should be taken up by equal portions of whole grains (not refined grains like white bread and white rice) and healthy protein (such as fish, nuts, beans and poultry—not red meat or processed meats). Two-thirds of the other half should be filled with vegetables, with the remaining portion consisting of fruit. Try to inject a lot of variety into this half of your plate (or half of your diet)—eat fruits in a variety of colors and vegetables of all types (but don’t count potatoes or French fries as vegetables).

To one side of the plate, picture a glass of water, since that’s the best drink for weight loss and for overall health (At some meals you can substitute coffee or tea with little to no sugar). Don’t drink more than a serving or two of milk each day.

To the other side of the plate, imagine a vessel containing healthy oils such as canola or olive oil. Use it for cooking or at the table instead of butter .

Remember the Healthy Eating Plate when you’re contemplating what to eat for a specific meal, when you’re grocery shopping, or when you’re strategizing about how to lose weight and keep it off. Adhering to its guidelines will optimize your chances of remaining healthy and of maintaining a desirable body weight.

Useful health articles

This section presents information materials of the Stavropol Regional Center for Medical Prevention.

You can read other publications of the Center for the Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases and Promotion of a Healthy Lifestyle in the Stavropol Territory by following the link.

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2	Age and thyroid disorders	0.33 Mb
3	Responsible Reproductive Health Week	0.13 Mb
4	January 16 – 22 – Noncommunicable Disease Prevention Week	0.84 Mb
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6	Prevention of alcohol abuse on New Year’s holidays	0.26 Mb
7	Vegetables and herbs	0.15 Mb
8	Start changing your diet to make it healthy	0.29 Mb
9	The benefits of morning exercises	0.1 Mb
10	How to stay healthy in the office	0.1 Mb
11	How to deal with fatigue in the workplace?	0.08 Mb
12	Six ways to eat at work	0.09MB
13	Calorie counting	0.33 Mb
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47	Reminder for parents: childhood injuries in the summer	0. 18 Mb
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50	Drug addiction and alcoholism. Myths about addiction	0.37 Mb
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52	Silent robber of sight. Glaucoma	0.18 Mb
53	Problems of hearing loss and its prevention	0.2 Mb
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56	Healthy eating	0.15 Mb
57	Three main principles of a healthy lifestyle	0. 16 Mb
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59	Stroke and myocardial infarction. How to recognize and what measures to take	0.18 Mb
60	Migraine	0.19 Mb
61	Cancer Prevention	0.16 Mb
62	Fragile age	0.24 Mb
63	Recommendations of an endocrinologist – Iodine is good for health	0.14 Mb
64	Benefits of iodized salt	0.19 Mb
65	What you need to know about tuberculosis	0.13 Mb
66	Heat and health	0.22 Mb
67	Pregnancy diabetes mellitus	0.27 Mb
68	Women and diabetes – the right to a healthy future	0. 37 Mb
69	How schoolchildren can relax at home in the summer	0.19 Mb
70	Ambrosial hay fever	0.23 Mb
71	Memo for parents “Children’s injuries in the summer”	0.18 Mb
72	Should I breastfeed my baby in summer?	0.39 Mb
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78	Every woman should know this	0.11 Mb
79	What is HIV infection?	0. 19 Mb
80	Hardening	0.17 Mb
81	Healthy eating – why is it important?	0.52 Mb
82	The impact of smoking on mental health	0.3 Mb
83	Effects of drugs on human health	0.3 Mb
84	Beware of pliers!	0.14 Mb
85	Drug prevention	0.09 Mb
86	What is diabetes	0.09 Mb
87	All about tuberculosis	0.16 Mb
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92	The sun – enemy or friend	0.18 Mb
93	We and the plastic world	0.17 Mb
94	Coronavirus and smoking. Scientists’ opinions.	0.5 Mb
95	All-Russian Day of Sobriety	0.11 Mb
96	Heart, how good it is to live in the world!	0.19 Mb
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100	The Kashpirovsky effect or the “magic power” of the Internet	0.21 Mb
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102	“You can’t buy health – your mind gives it”	0.57 Mb
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105	Lost sleep – lost health	0.2 Mb
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107	Stroke causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention	0.12 Mb
108	Alcoholism and its consequences	0.03 Mb
109	Prevention of lung cancer	0.03 Mb

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Best health articles in 2021 on Lifehacker

Results-2021

Health

January 1, 2022

Why biological age is needed, how to recover from coronavirus and what to eat to lose weight.

Why your stomach hurts after sex and what to do about it

Illustration: Anna Guridova / Lifehacker

Discomfort in the lower abdomen after sex is a common phenomenon: every fifth woman and every twentieth man experiences it. Sometimes this happens because of a really violent orgasm. But pain can also have other causes. including health hazards. We figured out when to hurry to the doctor, and when you can not worry.

Read the article →

What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and How to Treat It

Illustration: Anika Turchan / Lifehacker

If you run out of strength and never return, trying to pull yourself together can be not only useless, but even dangerous. Chronic fatigue syndrome cannot be overcome with willpower.

However, there is a chance to feel healthy and energetic again. It is important to consult a therapist in time. In the article we tell you when this needs to be done and how exactly the doctor will help to cope with chronic fatigue.

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10 Organs People Can Actually Do Without

Photo: ABO PHOTOGRAPHY / Shutterstock

Turns out it’s not just appendicitis or gallbladder. Some people live quite successfully even without 90% of the brain. We figured out which organs can be called not only superfluous, but partly redundant: the body is able to compensate for their functions by connecting other systems and tissues.

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What to do if after COVID-19difficult to work and do not want to live

Photo: Beliphotos / Shutterstock

Insomnia, apathy, weakness, anxiety – such symptoms haunt many who have been ill even months after recovery. They explained why this is happening, what can be done about it and how to protect yourself from the neurological consequences of a coronavirus infection.

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Why neutrophils are low and what to do about it

Illustration: Anna Guridova / Lifehacker

Neutrophils are white blood cells that are especially important for fighting bacterial infections. When there are few neutrophils, immunity decreases and bacterial tonsillitis, otitis media, and bronchitis become more frequent.

We found out why the level of neutrophils falls, when it is really dangerous and how to return the number of “antibacterial” leukocytes to normal.

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How to recover from covid. 10 rules you need to know

Illustration: Anika Turchan / Lifehacker

We are used to the fact that ordinary SARS pass quickly and without consequences. The coronavirus is completely different: even if the disease was mild, the post-viral “tail” can last for months and affect a variety of organs and systems, from the heart and blood vessels to the brain and muscles.

To avoid unpleasant consequences, you need to give yourself time to recover. And approach rehabilitation competently: get enough sleep, do breathing exercises, keep a diary of observations. A complete list of rules that will help restore health to 100% can be found in our article.

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Which weight loss supplements really work and which don’t

Illustration: Anna Guridova / Lifehacker

Scientific studies say that caffeine, capsaicin (this substance gives a characteristic hotness to hot peppers), chitosan make the body burn more calories. But this is not a complete list of working “fat burners” – there are many more in the article.

Popular supplements that don’t work, you also need to know so as not to throw money away. We also listed such means for losing weight.

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14 ways scientists recommend to reduce your appetite

Photo: RossHelen / Shutterstock

Sometimes, in order to reduce the desire to eat, it is enough to do something elementary and pleasant – for example, get enough sleep.